Why self-care belongs at the top of your to-do list
Amid the never-ending demands of our busy lives, it’s so very easy to end up always putting our own self-care at the bottom of our to-do list.
We feel like we just don’t have the time and hope we’ll somehow get away with it. And when our energy plunges, our stress levels surge and our inner world rebels in all kinds of ways, we berate our bodies and wonder why they are letting us down!
Sound familiar?
Ask yourself, when did you last take a real break? I’m not talking about a quick massage or a family holiday. I mean something that was just for you and that allowed you to retreat from daily life long enough to let its noise fade and for your cup to refill …
Be honest with yourself – and if you’re shocked by how long ago that was, trust me, you are not alone!
The inconvenient truth is that we cannot get away with ignoring our own needs or our cyclical rhythms as women (I long ago learned this the hard way in a lesson that turned out to be a great gift).
For we are building (for good or for bad) our bodies, ourselves, our health and our well-being moment by moment by the way we live our lives.
And our bodies do not deserve to be berated!
On the contrary, they deserve our deepest awe and gratitude for keeping going at all with the levels of stress, neglect and linear push-on-through living we submit them to.
Our bodies are on our side, always trying to maintain the best possible balance and, when they cannot manage any more, they try to alert us with signals – aka symptoms.
So next time your body communicates with you, don’t berate it, but instead listen in!
Even better, try to support your amazing body in its admirable efforts to keep you well, happy and strong by committing to making self-care a priority in your life, no matter what is going on around you.
For the beauty of making time for you is that it will take you far beyond just having a break.
When we relax deeply, our bodies and minds start to heal themselves. What most of us need more than anything is simply to undo, not to do!
Not only will you have more energy to deal with your busy life, but your body will be able to stop shouting so loudly and you’ll start navigating life’s challenges with serenity and ease.
And, best of all, you’ll find yourself reconnecting to the dreams, the goodness and the power of the real you behind that busy women.
Remember that self-care is not selfish! On the contrary, it’s the secret to being well and to being able to share your truest and most creative self with the world.
So don’t feel guilty about making your own well-being a priority, instead of an afterthought, in your life.
Instead, turn over a new leaf from today and put yourself at the top of your to-do list …
Don’t know where to start with your self-care?
Looking for the time and space to let the noise of life fade?
To fill your cup to the brim, join me in May or November at my Weekend Women’s Yoga Retreats in a luxury country house in the gorgeous Norfolk countryside.
Women’s Weekend Yoga Retreat in Norfolk in May
Women’s Weekend Yoga Retreat in Norfolk in November